Hands On: Civ 7’s Big Free PS5 Update Feels Like a Soft Relaunch

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Civilization 7 has had a rocky start since its initial release in February last year.

When I first played the game, I predicted that its most unique feature – switching to a different civilization in each of the game’s three eras – would likely be its most controversial.

Players weren’t thrilled with the new system that prevented them from playing as the same civilization throughout the entire game, and many found the age-based objectives, called Legacy Paths, to be too repetitive. As a result, the game hasn’t attracted as many players on Steam compared to previous Civilization titles – it’s seen fewer players than both Civilization 6 and Civilization 5.

Firaxis is releasing a large, free update called Test of Time, hoping to address player concerns and improve the game. It’s substantial enough that it almost feels like a fresh start for the entire game.

The biggest update is that you’re no longer limited to playing civilizations within a specific era. You can now start with any civilization in any era you choose. When moving to a new era, you have the option to either switch to a different civilization within that new era, or continue playing as the civilization you already have.

So, in this game, every civilization has a kind of ‘golden age’ – it’s the era they started with, and it shows them at their strongest. It’s like their peak, you know?

When a civilization reaches its peak, it has complete access to all its strengths, including special units and buildings. If a civilization isn’t at its peak, it can either borrow a unique unit or building from a civilization that is at its peak for the rest of the current era. Or, it can focus on its own culture, receiving a small boost to its existing strengths instead.

Okay, so there are a couple of things to keep in mind when I’m trying to borrow stuff from other civilizations. First, I can only really ‘syncretise’ – basically, blend cultures – with civs that are pretty similar to mine, or have a leader that fits. Second, I can’t borrow from anyone who’s actually in the game right now – they have to be out of the picture before I can take their cultural ideas.

Take the ‘America in Antiquity’ civilization, for instance. You could build a Roman Forum as your special district, and then in the Exploration era, field Norman Chevaliers as your unique military unit. I was initially unsure about this feature, but the ability to essentially ‘create your own civilization’ adds a lot of strategic depth and makes each playthrough feel different, especially considering the game’s wide range of leader options.

A key improvement in Test of Time is replacing the old, repetitive Legacy Paths with the new Triumphs system. Triumphs are optional goals your civilization can achieve throughout each era, and completing them provides minor benefits.

Triumphs in the game fall into two categories: some are consistently available to all players, while others are limited and players compete to achieve them first. You can earn these Triumphs by achieving milestones like founding many cities, growing a large population, being the first to research all technologies, or constructing numerous wonders. Importantly, these Triumphs are optional goals that don’t require you to drastically change your strategy to unlock them; they’re more like background achievements.

We’ve made winning the game more balanced and satisfying. Before, players often focused on just one path to victory as soon as they reached the modern era. Now, you earn points throughout the entire game in different areas, and these points contribute to an overall score. To win, you need to accumulate enough points in a specific category – the amount needed depends on how well your closest competitor is doing, similar to how Tourism worked in Civilization 6. This means victories feel more meaningful, as you’ll need a clear lead over everyone else, rather than just quickly achieving a single victory condition.

You can actually win a game in the early Exploration era if you’re far ahead with Military, Economic, or Cultural victories. However, a Science victory always requires reaching the Modern era, as you still need to launch a spaceship to win – likely a tradition from past Civilization games.

Finally, the Test of Time has brought a bunch of quality-of-life improvements, too.

We’ve made a lot of improvements to the user interface, and you now have the freedom to move your capital city to any city at the beginning of each new age. Plus, I’m really excited about the new ability to build walls around your wonders – it finally solves the problem of awkwardly shaped cities!

The dev’s also added Alexander the Great as an extra leader available to everyone for free.

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2026-06-02 01:37